Moscow: Former World No.3 tennis player Nadia Petrova, who has been away from the court since March 2014, announced her retirement from professional tennis on Thursday.

During her 19-year-long career the Russian player took 14 individual titles and 24 doubles trophies, reaching third place in the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) rankings in May 2006, reports Efe.

In a letter posted on the WTA official website, Petrova, 34, said that she had "decided to turn the page and move on" because she has not been able to fully recover from injury.

The Russian's career was affected by physical problems and the death of her mother in 2013.

She tried to begin playing again in February 2014, but her body did not respond.

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"It was painful. Painful because I felt useless and the player I was once, was no longer there," she lamented.

Although her wish was always to return to the professional courts, the problems with her hip meant Nadia Petrova was forced to say goodbye.